Youth to Womanhood | Meet Multi-Hyphenate MISSBISH Bosco

Known for being not only a musician but also a multidisciplinary artist, our newest MISSBISH Bosco shows us on the daily that in order to overcome everything in the process of growth, you must dedicate time for work and your well-being in the midst of it all. Keeping nostalgic childhood memories and lessons learned along the way has been a huge role in where she creatively stands today.

As a newly independent artist, you may find her on the lineups of some of your favorite music festivals like the recent Adult Swim Festival or catch her managing SLUG, a creative agency targeting millennials of color as the Founder and Creative Director.

Bosco, modeling in the new editorial Billy by photographer Christian Cody, captures “movement, strength, and femininity throughout the transition from youth to womanhood and the different emotions we feel while going through this process from the perspective of fashion.”

Check out our interview with Bosco below to read all about her process and progression.

Tell us about your journey and how you got into music.

I grew up in Savannah, Georgia by the way of Atlanta. Music has always been very rich in my family as I grew up in the church singing in the choir and in the youth praise team. It was a way for my mother to “keep me out of trouble.” I learned so much from those experiences and true discipline. Black church culture is like a whole other world. From there, I joined my school’s chorus and local talent shows trying to find my way and develop my voice. I hated competitions so I’m not sure why I ever did that. I always knew from a young age this was something I wanted to do or that it “choose” me. Nothing fulfilled me like music did. It was a way for me to communicate and articulate the purest form of myself without judgment nor questioning. The freedom I felt was unmatched. So I started singing cover songs in college at a local bar/lounge to develop my chops and performance skills. I was a fashion student at Savannah College Of Art and Design at the time, working a full-time front desk job at a hotel, and singing on the weekends. I did this for about two years until I built a fan base to start doing my own music. Once I began singing original music, the owner wasn’t really feeling that. I eventually was over fashion and wanted to move to pursue my music career. One month later I moved to Atlanta with $400 USD in my account and the rest is history.

How has your background in art helped you with your career as a singer/songwriter/creative?

Savannah College of Art and Design taught me so much in my foundation studies courses about design/marketing in general. I gravitated towards Graphic Design because I did my sketches, illustrations, and croquettes in Adobe Illustrator. I’ve always been a visionary so I could see what I wanted my work to look and feel like early on. I would do the CD/AD work for my music releases. Being at that institution showed me the value in teamwork, collaboration and honest critiques about my work and your peer’s work. So now, whether I’m working on music or in the design world, I’m trained to take constructive critiques. I’ve learned with an ever-changing and evolving industry you constantly have to be able to adapt. Music and art go hand-in-hand.

Your style has a very nostalgic aesthetic to it and you have a unique sound. Are there any childhood memories that inspired or influenced you?

I was an MTV/TRL kid wholeheartedly. I would watch ‘True Life’, ‘Cribs’ and ‘Diary’ and envision myself doing that or becoming a VJ like Ananda Lewis. There was a beauty in capturing the true essence of an artist during that time. Your idols felt untouchable back then, now we feel like we know them. It’s funny how time changes things. I found myself in a lot of the Nickelodeon characters as well such as Judy Funny from Doug, Debbie Thornberry from The Thornberrys, Roxanne from Goofy Movie, and As Told By Ginger. I feel like I’m still in that era. I refuse to grow up.

As a multifaceted woman, what do you like most about being able to pursue more than one passion?

I love the art of storytelling and connecting with people. That’s what drives me.

Do you have any advice for like-minded women who are juggling multiple careers?

You have to be mentally strong for this, never compromising your artistic integrity. Communication is key and sometimes I fall short on that but it’s about doing your best and accepting failure because it makes you stronger and sharper. I’m not sure how I even do it sometimes. It gets extremely challenging. But I have to remember that God wouldn’t give me these gifts and talents if I couldn’t handle it. Take care of your temple and eat right. We have to constantly be conscious of what we put into our bodies because it truly fuels us.

Talk to others about things you’re doing and goals you set out. I’m always getting feedback on how to become a better me first before I can be anything to anybody else.

How do you incorporate play into work? How do you find a balance?

I try to steal moments for myself in the midst of it all. I’m always working and that’s something that won’t change but taking breaks and being spontaneous helps. Luckily, I work with people that are my friends so that helps. Because I am a multimedia artist, some jobs are fun and active where I’m not so much in my head. Sundays are my personal days where I go to the farmer’s market, pick my produce, connect with local farmers, and choose florals for my crib. This is my type of fun. The art of dialogue is something that is becoming obsolete in today’s generation so I find pleasure talking to strangers.

How do you stay in pursuit of progress and what keeps you motivated?

Progress is a tricky yet subjective word. My thought process of progression could be completely different from the next person. What keeps me motivated is time. The thought of it running out and being infinite all at the same time. I am in constant awe of time and the illusion and power it has over us.

As the Founder and Creative Director of SLUG Agency, what is the most challenging and rewarding part about owning a creative agency as an independent artist?

People thinking I know too much lol. Being that I’m an artist some people are apprehensive about revealing their strategy while working with SLUG on the music side, but then on the other side some people have no clue it’s me until we are in a meeting together. What I like most about it is I get to work with some brands/corporations I’ve been waiting my align myself and the SLUG team with to really bring a vision and/or concept to life. I love to process from conception to completion seeing every detail out until the end.